Cloudcompass
Jun 12, 2020 19:23:39 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2020 19:23:39 GMT -5
PLAYER INFO
Name/Alias: Agrimony or Agri
IM/E-Mail: DM me ^^
CHARACTER INFO
Name: Cloudcompass, “Cee, CC, Cloud”
Age: Early 30s
Gender: Mech.
Species: Cybertronian.
Faction: Neutral.
Original Occupation: Navigator & Cartographer for Research Vessel The VOS-Strathcona
Current Occupation: Oddjobs
Specialization: Long-term Project Management
Appearance
Height: Midway between Starscream and Bulkhead.
Optics/Biolights: Warm orange-amber- biolights are only visible in seems and sockets. White rings act like pupils within his optics.
Colour: Primarily matte white, black and dark grey armor with the occasional amber highlight. Large pieces of armor, such as pauldrons, chest plates, forearms and wings are splotchy white-grayish, to reflect the snow-camo pattern of his altmode.
Build: Cloudcompass is a mix of slim and broad, with gangly arms attached to a solid triangular frame-style that sits ambiguously between mech and femme, and sturdy legs that support a downright bizarre pede shape.
His faceplate is dark-gray and framed by white armor, within which rests secondary vents on either side. A diamond-shaped crest rests deep between his optics, black in the center but lined with orange. The majority of his helm plating is white, including one of the two decorative ‘fins’ that stick out from the audials. The other is black, and instead of flaring out straight this one points back along the helm.
Cloudcompass’ torso is comparatively short, broad at the shoulders and narrowing into a slim waist that rests in two wide, upwards flaring hip plates. Above these plates, half hidden are his main vents. Half of his jet’s nose cone flattens out in sections to form his torso, the cockpit glass split in half and lining his ribs and flank, leaving the bottom of his shoulder sockets exposed. His shoulders are protected by two long, triangular pauldrons. These pieces protect relatively short upper-arms, while his arms themselves could be described as bare-struts with very meager light armor. Their struts end in a circular elbow joint, protected on the outside by a small, orange, fin-like piece of armor and the forearm- but exposed on the inside. His forearms are long and flat, wing-shaped and thickening only at the elbow and wrists to accommodate joints. His servos are half-way covered by plating, forming a solid base to which five tapered digits are anchored.
CC’s back is curved forward, giving him the appearance of being hunched in on himself. The other half of his alt-mode’s nose cone protects his upper-spine and neck, set between slanting dual jet engines. Underneath the engines and running along his lower back are more interlocking panels, offering only thin, light-grade armor with biolights set in the seams. This creates a weak spot that is partially hidden by the cockpit pieces that curve in from the front on either side, and when his wings are folded tightly behind him it is almost entirely covered.
His wings are long and narrow with squared wingtips, reaching down about mid-shin and seeming to hover an alarmingly short distance from the ground. The mechanisms that power his swing-wings are stored behind the sockets, which grant the wings a lot of vertical mobility. They are an indicator to his thoughts, moving according to his feelings. Their usual, neutral position is wingtips loosely held downward, giving the appearance of a tailcoat. They can move independently and swing upwards but not across.
CC’s legs are unguligrade, wide-set with reinforced plating above the pede. The upper-leg portion drops forward from the hip sockets, hinging at the knee to slope backwards into a stout shin. A knee guard caps this joint and extends along the shin. The heel joint resembles a wheel snuggly capped from beneath by another guard. His pedes are made up primarily of two parts- the curved blade/band of the pede itself and the mooring assembly connecting it to the heel. The band is shaped like a ‘J’, hooking backwards before curving slowly forward, splitting into two clawed toes as it begins to run parallel to the ground. The landing wheels of his altmode are nestled between these toes and are decorated by two little amber spikes. For all intents and purposes, these pedes resemble running prosthetics and are durable, yet flexible. The bands flexe under weight and add a bounce to Cloudcompass’ gait, absorbing impact like the universe’s most effective spring. To steady him when he’s standing still, two blade-like spikes run straight down from the mooring assembly with the band resting between them.
Altmode: General Dynamics-Grumman EF111-A Raven Seen here!
This altmode is capable of low-speed cruising and supersonic flight up to Mach-2, all because of its variable sweep wings. Funky Wings!
Pertinent History
End of an Era: Cloudcompass and his twin were sparked when the Golden Age was already on the decline. Originally Vosnian, they almost immediately landed work together on one of the last exploration and research vessels, The VOS-Strathcona. Here they received basic weapons for self-defense. Starting as mere maintenance workers, their thirst for knowledge and drive saw them rise to field assistants. Cloudcompass apprenticed under the navigator and the pilot of the ship, eventually taking on the role of ship navigator when half the original crew retired.
Cast away: When the High Council began to recall Cybertronians to their home planet, the Strathcona was tasked with carrying the message to the further-reaching colonies and cutting ties with the native populations as amicably as they could. Their mission accomplished, they were tasked with returning home once and for all. However, knowing the crew wanted to continue their exploration, the Captain put it to a vote. The VOS-Strathcona went missing in action, all crew presumed dead in a freak accident as Cybertron society turned towards the Castes.In truth, they moved their port of call to a very small planet on the outer reaches called Mae. Originally overlooked when first reported by the Strathcona, its inhabitants were just beginning the development of long-distance space travel when the crew started working with them, all the while continuing to push deeper into space. When the war eventually broke out, the news traveled slowly to Mae.
Whispers of War: Cloudcompass and his twin were wary of the war at first. The information was vague and half based on rumour and gossip, so while they had a pretty good idea of why and how it had happened, neither faction of the war seemed appealing. When Mae’s government inquired about their status- the crew declared themselves Neutral. This was all well and good when the war was a far off, almost abstract concept- and the crew’s naivety meant they were unprepared when Decepticons landed on Mae’s shores while they were away. The attack spurred some of the crew to join the fight against the Decepticons, taking the Strathcona with them, never to be seen or heard from again. However, another all out assault saw the death of the twins’ last companion, the defeat of Mae and CC getting severely injured. Mae, as it stands, is a dead rock in space.
A massive fight between both siblings saw his twin packing up and leaving out of the blue after they’d healed- and much to Cloudcompass’ shock, she did not come back. At this point, he’d still expected they could talk things out- but he was wrong. While able to infer his twin’s location relative to himself, she was clever and knew how to cover her tracks well, so the distance only grew between them- even as CC traced her footsteps to the best of his ability. Inevitably, the trail went cold. Cloudcompass had lost his twin, maybe forever. Penniless, alone and on an unknown planet, he sought work as a Neutral- usually only landing odd jobs.
A New Trail: Optimus’ call triggered a long-forgotten memory and sparked determination within Cloudcompass, coinciding with a new lead on his twin’s whereabouts. Earth, the small planet his twin had jokingly called their rendez-vous point if they ever got separated, all that time ago. It was almost ironic.
Steeling his resolve, CC used whatever credits he had left to buy passage on a cargo ship that would fly-by Earth’s solar system. This was the best he could do, lacking the money for anything else- but flying through the void of space was nothing compared to the possibility of setting things right once and for all.
Personality
Cloudcompass is an introverted mech to an almost painful degree, and oftentimes ends up worrying despite himself that his cold and aloof ways may offend when not intended. It doesn’t help that his ‘resting bitter face’ and stilted way of speaking can sometimes create the impression of arrogance where there isn’t any. He’s just awkward and non-expressive- making him hard to read (even as he, himself, has many troubles reading others). Back when he had his twin with him constantly, he almost never needed to speak for himself. Being alone has changed this. He talks more, at the cost of being exhausted after conversation and needing some time alone to recoup. Otherwise, CC is a clever, patient mech. He plays the long game and plans for the big-picture- sometimes overlooking smaller, in-the-moment details.
He is slow to actually anger, but easy to irk. While it takes some time to get past all of these things- once someone has earned his trust and respect Cloudcompass true nature is that of deep kindness and care. His demeanor changes from stony to quiet wit and goofiness, opening up figuratively and gesturally- becoming looser with his servos and using his wings to emote more. CC is tenacious, and a born-follower, lacking the charisma or knack for leadership. When asked of him, his teamwork can be impeccable despite possible personality clashes.
Likes: Sunsets/sunrises. Flying, doing tricky maneuvers with his twin. Riddles, logic puzzles, paradoxes. Dry, cold temperatures. Exploring the undiscovered and learning new things. Settling down with companions around a fire, with good energon and a good story after a long day. A job well done.
Dislikes: Overly loud, overly crowded cities. Urban centers in general. Obnoxiously hyper behaviour, boasting and bragging. Hot and humid climates, sand- it gets everywhere. Strangers.
Strengths
Physical
Naturally Pointy: While Cloudcompass’ digits and toes taper, they are features of his build and only help to grip the ground, respectively. The same cannot be said for the spikes mounted in the mooring assemblies of his legs. One side serrated and narrowing into a sharp point, these spikes hit hard, piercing heavy a little, digging into medium and sinking into light as if it were cake- then immediately getting wrenched out again, leaving jagged wounds behind that are difficult to close and prone to bleeding out or infection- the spikes are by no means sterile. The amount of damage does depend, however, on the angle and strength of the kick. These spikes are far sturdier than they appear and will not bend or snap easily.
Here’s the Kicker: CC’s legs are the strongest part of his body and can deliver a lethal kick if it hits a sweet spot. A kick can leave a respectable dent in heavy, a crack in medium or rend light armor, possibly strut-breakingly. However, what makes them deadly are the spikes mounted in the mooring assemblies of his legs.
Say hello to my Little Friend: With no incorporated weapons, CC was given a semi-auto super-charged plasma rifle upon recruitment aboard The VOS-Strathcona. It is kept in a subspace at his left hip. Powered via solar cell, with about 40 rounds. It is Maestonian modified and old, taking about 30 seconds to recharge between volleys- although sometimes glitching out when needed and over-heating after repeated use. The gun uses suppressive fire, with the ability to sting heavy, burn medium and pierce through light armor. It does have a scope and he usually uses it in a ranged capacity.
Stop Moving!: Cloud is hard to pin down, and he will try his hardest to stay away at all costs. He’s a slippery mech, usually because people underestimate just how much those feet of his can take- or give. With his long, loping gait he’s not particularly speedy, but could maintain a low-energy, brisk walking pace to match a normal mech’s jogging for quite a while before his wounds start to flare up.
ECM: A mod received from the Maestonians, Cloudcompass is equipped with a low-powered defensive ECM. It scrambles mid-range radar, making it seem like a bunch of random blips are going crazy. It used to function in root and alt, and could be turned off. Now, however, it works only in alt and passively at that- he can’t turn it off.
Mental
Focus in for a Second: Once he’s set himself to a task, it will be finished or so help him. Distractions are non-existent. His patience feeds into this, as he could sit for hours waiting for a perfect shot- as an example- without much hassle. He’s good at keeping calm and on task, slow to anger and patient.
Cross a Mountain and a Mule: He is stubborn and determined, and from this sprouts his bravery: he simply refuses to let fear conquer him. He’s a quick learner because he refuses to let something he doesn’t know impede his progress. A problem set before him will get solved, even if it means staring at it angrily for days until he figures out the solution.
Goal-oriented: A logical conclusion, Cloudcompass exists to accomplish things. He is always working towards something, driving him forward even when the odds are against him.
Kindness is Key: He is kind. Simple, and effective- even if it might not always be evident and is often hidden beneath a layer of the century’s worst case of the cold-shoulder. His words might be snarky, but he cares deeply.
Weaknesses
Physical
Exposed: There are quite a few spots where Cloudcompass is exposed with little armor. The inner workings of his shoulders are at least partially exposed at all times, his upper-arm struts are all but bare and his elbow joints have no armor on the inside of the arm. His lower-torso/core area is lightly armored, as is the small of his back if it is not hidden by tightly folded wings. His wings are usually tucked behind him, however they are still large, flat targets.
Wear and Tear: Because he holds his wings tightly folded back almost constantly, they have become sore and somewhat chronically painful, adding to the pile of aches resulting from wear and tear. While a checkup could ease some of these aches, most have become chronic and are likely to be with him forever. Maestonian tech also does not have the longevity to match the lives of cybertronians. Cloudcompass can deal with it and fix it to a degree, but his rifle and modded ECM will someday crash beyond repair. Mae no longer exists, so he can’t really out source help either.
Melee? Hard No: His place is mid-range fire support, not melee. It’s a shame his greatest weapon is such close-range, and goes unused unless his life is on the line. He is not good at hand to hand, his armor is not meant for it, it's doubtful he could take a hard hit.
Finicky Feet: Greatest strength, greatest weakness- if they were to get seriously damaged it's doubtful anyone would be able to fix them with the current state of resources. The springs can take the impact of running, jumping or a hard landing much better than the spikes can. He must hit the ground toes first, or else the hard jolt of the spikes hitting the ground can and will hurt. In a fight, the spikes may stick in the armor of his opponent if he doesn’t pull away with enough force.
Old wounds: His left leg has been badly damaged, and it healed to become much stiffer than the other one. His once-smooth loping gait is broken by the imbalance the wound causes, and he noticeably rests more of his weight on his right leg. It doesn’t absorb impact as effectively as the other.
Alt-Weapons who?: He has no air-to-air weapons in altmode. He must rely on his acrobatics, low-flying or speed to shake any attackers if his ECM and natural camouflage fails. It takes a few seconds to move his wings from low-speed configurations to higher ones, and the movement in these few seconds exposes joints as armour shifts to accommodate the different geometry. A good hit here can destroy the mechanisms and lock a wing in a weird shape, making it impossible for him to escape and preventing him from transforming back.
Solid as a Rock Cloudcompass’ root form is dense and compressed, making him run a bit warmer and be prone to overheating. While he’s tall, he weighs more than one would expect such a gangly mech to weigh.
Mental
Nail-biting: Cloud’s time alone has caused old worries to grow into anxieties, worsening underlying trust issues and his natural shyness. Though he talks more than he used to, it drains his energy terribly- a lot of interaction, sustained loud noises/volumes and lots of people have the same effect. He needs a quiet place to rest and regain his strength, and sometimes that means disappearing for a couple days in the woods.
Not meant for Combat: At the end of the day, Cloudcompass was simply not forged for battle. It clashes with him on a base-programming level. It’s loud, confusing, often with a lot of people doing things all at once- and it stirs a deep-set panic in CC that could, at absolute worse, cause a system-wide shut down. This fear grows if he’s in close-combat, on the frontlines or anywhere in the thick of battle.
Missing Twin: CC was forged with a sparkbond already solidly in place due to his twin split-sparkedness. This was very useful when she was still around. Now it only makes him feel lonelier, and beyond knowing that she’s alive, her very, very general location in relation to him and the little reassurance it offers- he can’t do much with it. The greatest drawbacks of this bond is its pure capacity for sharing. The twins can’t shutter the other out completely, there’s always something there. Phantom pain is shared through the bond, and can cause confusion between who’s feeling what.
Mae guide me: Though CC doesn’t see it as much of a problem, so to speak, it is sometimes inconvenient that he’s spent the very large majority of his life away from Cybertron. He’s more familiar with several ‘alien’ cultural norms than he is his own, and has not been back to Cybertron since before the Caste system. Similarly, his only experience with anything even remotely military-esque is the old Strathcona’s loose chain of command.
Special Skills
Sense of Direction: He lives up to his name, Cloudcompass is insanely good at keeping track of his position in space. His experience as a cartographer and navigator has helped him develop a knack for memorizing the layout of buildings and ships after a pass through or a quick scan of a map. It's not a magic sense however, more a memory or observational trick. He can’t know where to go in a building he’s never entered before.
Space: In alt he can fly short distances. Re-entry can be tricky and he can’t exit orbit on his own power.
Hi, holo!: Part of the standard equipment on the Strathcona, Cloudcompass is equipped with a decent hardlight holoform. It emanates from a single, core projector at center-mass and can be deployed in alt or root. Scanning or creating new projections is a simple matter, and old forms are archived in a datapad- but the core itself is only calibrated for one at a time. While deployed, most of his awareness is based around the holo- if it's shot at or severely injured, there is backlash as senses and consciousness slingshots, painfully and abruptly, back to his frame.
Sample RP
What now?
It was a thought that swirled around his processor for a few cycles now. First on the ship, as the Captain alerted him that they would be nearing the drop-off spot soon. Then on the frigid flight through space- what now? He had hopped from the airlock and transformed before the cold could settle in too deeply, his thanks and farewell to the cargo’s crew left echoing behind him. The void was calm and silent, the sight of Earth looming ahead of him serenely beautiful. It reminded him of Mae in a sense, all brilliant blue waters and swirls of clouds. What now? Get planetside. As his wingtips had started to numb, he had carefully angled himself into as smooth a re-entry as he could.
Steps. Just a series of steps to follow, logically- an answer to the endless what now.
The snow stretched out in all directions, a vast white expense dyed pink under a setting sun- or a rising sun. He would know in a breem or so- and then he could orient himself. Behind him rose dark, snow-capped mountains he had flown between on his way down, carpeted at their base with what he guessed was a forest.
Here was Earth, and here he was on Earth, pedes deep in snow with more slowly accumulating on his armor. With a long vent he shook the snow from his frame and lurched forward- taking to the skies once more. He might favor the cold, but his jaunt through space had already chilled him and he needed to get his energon flowing once more.
First order of business- find a local altmode. Then find shelter. Then… he could finally rest and nurse the aches of a long journey and strains of re-entry.
Afterwards, maybe, Cloudcompass could let himself contemplate the answer to the biggest what now- find the bots.
Name/Alias: Agrimony or Agri
IM/E-Mail: DM me ^^
CHARACTER INFO
Name: Cloudcompass, “Cee, CC, Cloud”
Age: Early 30s
Gender: Mech.
Species: Cybertronian.
Faction: Neutral.
Original Occupation: Navigator & Cartographer for Research Vessel The VOS-Strathcona
Current Occupation: Oddjobs
Specialization: Long-term Project Management
Appearance
Height: Midway between Starscream and Bulkhead.
Optics/Biolights: Warm orange-amber- biolights are only visible in seems and sockets. White rings act like pupils within his optics.
Colour: Primarily matte white, black and dark grey armor with the occasional amber highlight. Large pieces of armor, such as pauldrons, chest plates, forearms and wings are splotchy white-grayish, to reflect the snow-camo pattern of his altmode.
Build: Cloudcompass is a mix of slim and broad, with gangly arms attached to a solid triangular frame-style that sits ambiguously between mech and femme, and sturdy legs that support a downright bizarre pede shape.
His faceplate is dark-gray and framed by white armor, within which rests secondary vents on either side. A diamond-shaped crest rests deep between his optics, black in the center but lined with orange. The majority of his helm plating is white, including one of the two decorative ‘fins’ that stick out from the audials. The other is black, and instead of flaring out straight this one points back along the helm.
Cloudcompass’ torso is comparatively short, broad at the shoulders and narrowing into a slim waist that rests in two wide, upwards flaring hip plates. Above these plates, half hidden are his main vents. Half of his jet’s nose cone flattens out in sections to form his torso, the cockpit glass split in half and lining his ribs and flank, leaving the bottom of his shoulder sockets exposed. His shoulders are protected by two long, triangular pauldrons. These pieces protect relatively short upper-arms, while his arms themselves could be described as bare-struts with very meager light armor. Their struts end in a circular elbow joint, protected on the outside by a small, orange, fin-like piece of armor and the forearm- but exposed on the inside. His forearms are long and flat, wing-shaped and thickening only at the elbow and wrists to accommodate joints. His servos are half-way covered by plating, forming a solid base to which five tapered digits are anchored.
CC’s back is curved forward, giving him the appearance of being hunched in on himself. The other half of his alt-mode’s nose cone protects his upper-spine and neck, set between slanting dual jet engines. Underneath the engines and running along his lower back are more interlocking panels, offering only thin, light-grade armor with biolights set in the seams. This creates a weak spot that is partially hidden by the cockpit pieces that curve in from the front on either side, and when his wings are folded tightly behind him it is almost entirely covered.
His wings are long and narrow with squared wingtips, reaching down about mid-shin and seeming to hover an alarmingly short distance from the ground. The mechanisms that power his swing-wings are stored behind the sockets, which grant the wings a lot of vertical mobility. They are an indicator to his thoughts, moving according to his feelings. Their usual, neutral position is wingtips loosely held downward, giving the appearance of a tailcoat. They can move independently and swing upwards but not across.
CC’s legs are unguligrade, wide-set with reinforced plating above the pede. The upper-leg portion drops forward from the hip sockets, hinging at the knee to slope backwards into a stout shin. A knee guard caps this joint and extends along the shin. The heel joint resembles a wheel snuggly capped from beneath by another guard. His pedes are made up primarily of two parts- the curved blade/band of the pede itself and the mooring assembly connecting it to the heel. The band is shaped like a ‘J’, hooking backwards before curving slowly forward, splitting into two clawed toes as it begins to run parallel to the ground. The landing wheels of his altmode are nestled between these toes and are decorated by two little amber spikes. For all intents and purposes, these pedes resemble running prosthetics and are durable, yet flexible. The bands flexe under weight and add a bounce to Cloudcompass’ gait, absorbing impact like the universe’s most effective spring. To steady him when he’s standing still, two blade-like spikes run straight down from the mooring assembly with the band resting between them.
Altmode: General Dynamics-Grumman EF111-A Raven Seen here!
This altmode is capable of low-speed cruising and supersonic flight up to Mach-2, all because of its variable sweep wings. Funky Wings!
Pertinent History
End of an Era: Cloudcompass and his twin were sparked when the Golden Age was already on the decline. Originally Vosnian, they almost immediately landed work together on one of the last exploration and research vessels, The VOS-Strathcona. Here they received basic weapons for self-defense. Starting as mere maintenance workers, their thirst for knowledge and drive saw them rise to field assistants. Cloudcompass apprenticed under the navigator and the pilot of the ship, eventually taking on the role of ship navigator when half the original crew retired.
Cast away: When the High Council began to recall Cybertronians to their home planet, the Strathcona was tasked with carrying the message to the further-reaching colonies and cutting ties with the native populations as amicably as they could. Their mission accomplished, they were tasked with returning home once and for all. However, knowing the crew wanted to continue their exploration, the Captain put it to a vote. The VOS-Strathcona went missing in action, all crew presumed dead in a freak accident as Cybertron society turned towards the Castes.In truth, they moved their port of call to a very small planet on the outer reaches called Mae. Originally overlooked when first reported by the Strathcona, its inhabitants were just beginning the development of long-distance space travel when the crew started working with them, all the while continuing to push deeper into space. When the war eventually broke out, the news traveled slowly to Mae.
Whispers of War: Cloudcompass and his twin were wary of the war at first. The information was vague and half based on rumour and gossip, so while they had a pretty good idea of why and how it had happened, neither faction of the war seemed appealing. When Mae’s government inquired about their status- the crew declared themselves Neutral. This was all well and good when the war was a far off, almost abstract concept- and the crew’s naivety meant they were unprepared when Decepticons landed on Mae’s shores while they were away. The attack spurred some of the crew to join the fight against the Decepticons, taking the Strathcona with them, never to be seen or heard from again. However, another all out assault saw the death of the twins’ last companion, the defeat of Mae and CC getting severely injured. Mae, as it stands, is a dead rock in space.
A massive fight between both siblings saw his twin packing up and leaving out of the blue after they’d healed- and much to Cloudcompass’ shock, she did not come back. At this point, he’d still expected they could talk things out- but he was wrong. While able to infer his twin’s location relative to himself, she was clever and knew how to cover her tracks well, so the distance only grew between them- even as CC traced her footsteps to the best of his ability. Inevitably, the trail went cold. Cloudcompass had lost his twin, maybe forever. Penniless, alone and on an unknown planet, he sought work as a Neutral- usually only landing odd jobs.
A New Trail: Optimus’ call triggered a long-forgotten memory and sparked determination within Cloudcompass, coinciding with a new lead on his twin’s whereabouts. Earth, the small planet his twin had jokingly called their rendez-vous point if they ever got separated, all that time ago. It was almost ironic.
Steeling his resolve, CC used whatever credits he had left to buy passage on a cargo ship that would fly-by Earth’s solar system. This was the best he could do, lacking the money for anything else- but flying through the void of space was nothing compared to the possibility of setting things right once and for all.
Personality
Cloudcompass is an introverted mech to an almost painful degree, and oftentimes ends up worrying despite himself that his cold and aloof ways may offend when not intended. It doesn’t help that his ‘resting bitter face’ and stilted way of speaking can sometimes create the impression of arrogance where there isn’t any. He’s just awkward and non-expressive- making him hard to read (even as he, himself, has many troubles reading others). Back when he had his twin with him constantly, he almost never needed to speak for himself. Being alone has changed this. He talks more, at the cost of being exhausted after conversation and needing some time alone to recoup. Otherwise, CC is a clever, patient mech. He plays the long game and plans for the big-picture- sometimes overlooking smaller, in-the-moment details.
He is slow to actually anger, but easy to irk. While it takes some time to get past all of these things- once someone has earned his trust and respect Cloudcompass true nature is that of deep kindness and care. His demeanor changes from stony to quiet wit and goofiness, opening up figuratively and gesturally- becoming looser with his servos and using his wings to emote more. CC is tenacious, and a born-follower, lacking the charisma or knack for leadership. When asked of him, his teamwork can be impeccable despite possible personality clashes.
Likes: Sunsets/sunrises. Flying, doing tricky maneuvers with his twin. Riddles, logic puzzles, paradoxes. Dry, cold temperatures. Exploring the undiscovered and learning new things. Settling down with companions around a fire, with good energon and a good story after a long day. A job well done.
Dislikes: Overly loud, overly crowded cities. Urban centers in general. Obnoxiously hyper behaviour, boasting and bragging. Hot and humid climates, sand- it gets everywhere. Strangers.
Strengths
Physical
Naturally Pointy: While Cloudcompass’ digits and toes taper, they are features of his build and only help to grip the ground, respectively. The same cannot be said for the spikes mounted in the mooring assemblies of his legs. One side serrated and narrowing into a sharp point, these spikes hit hard, piercing heavy a little, digging into medium and sinking into light as if it were cake- then immediately getting wrenched out again, leaving jagged wounds behind that are difficult to close and prone to bleeding out or infection- the spikes are by no means sterile. The amount of damage does depend, however, on the angle and strength of the kick. These spikes are far sturdier than they appear and will not bend or snap easily.
Here’s the Kicker: CC’s legs are the strongest part of his body and can deliver a lethal kick if it hits a sweet spot. A kick can leave a respectable dent in heavy, a crack in medium or rend light armor, possibly strut-breakingly. However, what makes them deadly are the spikes mounted in the mooring assemblies of his legs.
Say hello to my Little Friend: With no incorporated weapons, CC was given a semi-auto super-charged plasma rifle upon recruitment aboard The VOS-Strathcona. It is kept in a subspace at his left hip. Powered via solar cell, with about 40 rounds. It is Maestonian modified and old, taking about 30 seconds to recharge between volleys- although sometimes glitching out when needed and over-heating after repeated use. The gun uses suppressive fire, with the ability to sting heavy, burn medium and pierce through light armor. It does have a scope and he usually uses it in a ranged capacity.
Stop Moving!: Cloud is hard to pin down, and he will try his hardest to stay away at all costs. He’s a slippery mech, usually because people underestimate just how much those feet of his can take- or give. With his long, loping gait he’s not particularly speedy, but could maintain a low-energy, brisk walking pace to match a normal mech’s jogging for quite a while before his wounds start to flare up.
ECM: A mod received from the Maestonians, Cloudcompass is equipped with a low-powered defensive ECM. It scrambles mid-range radar, making it seem like a bunch of random blips are going crazy. It used to function in root and alt, and could be turned off. Now, however, it works only in alt and passively at that- he can’t turn it off.
Mental
Focus in for a Second: Once he’s set himself to a task, it will be finished or so help him. Distractions are non-existent. His patience feeds into this, as he could sit for hours waiting for a perfect shot- as an example- without much hassle. He’s good at keeping calm and on task, slow to anger and patient.
Cross a Mountain and a Mule: He is stubborn and determined, and from this sprouts his bravery: he simply refuses to let fear conquer him. He’s a quick learner because he refuses to let something he doesn’t know impede his progress. A problem set before him will get solved, even if it means staring at it angrily for days until he figures out the solution.
Goal-oriented: A logical conclusion, Cloudcompass exists to accomplish things. He is always working towards something, driving him forward even when the odds are against him.
Kindness is Key: He is kind. Simple, and effective- even if it might not always be evident and is often hidden beneath a layer of the century’s worst case of the cold-shoulder. His words might be snarky, but he cares deeply.
Weaknesses
Physical
Exposed: There are quite a few spots where Cloudcompass is exposed with little armor. The inner workings of his shoulders are at least partially exposed at all times, his upper-arm struts are all but bare and his elbow joints have no armor on the inside of the arm. His lower-torso/core area is lightly armored, as is the small of his back if it is not hidden by tightly folded wings. His wings are usually tucked behind him, however they are still large, flat targets.
Wear and Tear: Because he holds his wings tightly folded back almost constantly, they have become sore and somewhat chronically painful, adding to the pile of aches resulting from wear and tear. While a checkup could ease some of these aches, most have become chronic and are likely to be with him forever. Maestonian tech also does not have the longevity to match the lives of cybertronians. Cloudcompass can deal with it and fix it to a degree, but his rifle and modded ECM will someday crash beyond repair. Mae no longer exists, so he can’t really out source help either.
Melee? Hard No: His place is mid-range fire support, not melee. It’s a shame his greatest weapon is such close-range, and goes unused unless his life is on the line. He is not good at hand to hand, his armor is not meant for it, it's doubtful he could take a hard hit.
Finicky Feet: Greatest strength, greatest weakness- if they were to get seriously damaged it's doubtful anyone would be able to fix them with the current state of resources. The springs can take the impact of running, jumping or a hard landing much better than the spikes can. He must hit the ground toes first, or else the hard jolt of the spikes hitting the ground can and will hurt. In a fight, the spikes may stick in the armor of his opponent if he doesn’t pull away with enough force.
Old wounds: His left leg has been badly damaged, and it healed to become much stiffer than the other one. His once-smooth loping gait is broken by the imbalance the wound causes, and he noticeably rests more of his weight on his right leg. It doesn’t absorb impact as effectively as the other.
Alt-Weapons who?: He has no air-to-air weapons in altmode. He must rely on his acrobatics, low-flying or speed to shake any attackers if his ECM and natural camouflage fails. It takes a few seconds to move his wings from low-speed configurations to higher ones, and the movement in these few seconds exposes joints as armour shifts to accommodate the different geometry. A good hit here can destroy the mechanisms and lock a wing in a weird shape, making it impossible for him to escape and preventing him from transforming back.
Solid as a Rock Cloudcompass’ root form is dense and compressed, making him run a bit warmer and be prone to overheating. While he’s tall, he weighs more than one would expect such a gangly mech to weigh.
Mental
Nail-biting: Cloud’s time alone has caused old worries to grow into anxieties, worsening underlying trust issues and his natural shyness. Though he talks more than he used to, it drains his energy terribly- a lot of interaction, sustained loud noises/volumes and lots of people have the same effect. He needs a quiet place to rest and regain his strength, and sometimes that means disappearing for a couple days in the woods.
Not meant for Combat: At the end of the day, Cloudcompass was simply not forged for battle. It clashes with him on a base-programming level. It’s loud, confusing, often with a lot of people doing things all at once- and it stirs a deep-set panic in CC that could, at absolute worse, cause a system-wide shut down. This fear grows if he’s in close-combat, on the frontlines or anywhere in the thick of battle.
Missing Twin: CC was forged with a sparkbond already solidly in place due to his twin split-sparkedness. This was very useful when she was still around. Now it only makes him feel lonelier, and beyond knowing that she’s alive, her very, very general location in relation to him and the little reassurance it offers- he can’t do much with it. The greatest drawbacks of this bond is its pure capacity for sharing. The twins can’t shutter the other out completely, there’s always something there. Phantom pain is shared through the bond, and can cause confusion between who’s feeling what.
Mae guide me: Though CC doesn’t see it as much of a problem, so to speak, it is sometimes inconvenient that he’s spent the very large majority of his life away from Cybertron. He’s more familiar with several ‘alien’ cultural norms than he is his own, and has not been back to Cybertron since before the Caste system. Similarly, his only experience with anything even remotely military-esque is the old Strathcona’s loose chain of command.
Special Skills
Sense of Direction: He lives up to his name, Cloudcompass is insanely good at keeping track of his position in space. His experience as a cartographer and navigator has helped him develop a knack for memorizing the layout of buildings and ships after a pass through or a quick scan of a map. It's not a magic sense however, more a memory or observational trick. He can’t know where to go in a building he’s never entered before.
Space: In alt he can fly short distances. Re-entry can be tricky and he can’t exit orbit on his own power.
Hi, holo!: Part of the standard equipment on the Strathcona, Cloudcompass is equipped with a decent hardlight holoform. It emanates from a single, core projector at center-mass and can be deployed in alt or root. Scanning or creating new projections is a simple matter, and old forms are archived in a datapad- but the core itself is only calibrated for one at a time. While deployed, most of his awareness is based around the holo- if it's shot at or severely injured, there is backlash as senses and consciousness slingshots, painfully and abruptly, back to his frame.
Sample RP
What now?
It was a thought that swirled around his processor for a few cycles now. First on the ship, as the Captain alerted him that they would be nearing the drop-off spot soon. Then on the frigid flight through space- what now? He had hopped from the airlock and transformed before the cold could settle in too deeply, his thanks and farewell to the cargo’s crew left echoing behind him. The void was calm and silent, the sight of Earth looming ahead of him serenely beautiful. It reminded him of Mae in a sense, all brilliant blue waters and swirls of clouds. What now? Get planetside. As his wingtips had started to numb, he had carefully angled himself into as smooth a re-entry as he could.
Steps. Just a series of steps to follow, logically- an answer to the endless what now.
The snow stretched out in all directions, a vast white expense dyed pink under a setting sun- or a rising sun. He would know in a breem or so- and then he could orient himself. Behind him rose dark, snow-capped mountains he had flown between on his way down, carpeted at their base with what he guessed was a forest.
Here was Earth, and here he was on Earth, pedes deep in snow with more slowly accumulating on his armor. With a long vent he shook the snow from his frame and lurched forward- taking to the skies once more. He might favor the cold, but his jaunt through space had already chilled him and he needed to get his energon flowing once more.
First order of business- find a local altmode. Then find shelter. Then… he could finally rest and nurse the aches of a long journey and strains of re-entry.
Afterwards, maybe, Cloudcompass could let himself contemplate the answer to the biggest what now- find the bots.